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I've had a nanny for my 2 year old son (turned 2 beginning of September) the last few months, but she is getting ready to move out of state with her boyfriend soon so I have been researching centers and touring places like they're going out of style. I am DISGUSTED with how bad some of these child care centers are - makes me wonder what parents are thinking (or not thinking at all) when they decide to send their child to some places... Granted, I'm also not able to afford to go through much of a weightlist time like most good places have around here.

My mom (who's a lead infant teacher at a daycare in a different town and has a degree in early childhood education) ended up getting today off work and we went through the remaining 5 daycares I had a list of...2 of them were so horrible I couldn't wait to get out (dirty, no real structure, owner/director of both seemed extremely spastic and just crazy - as bad as that sounds..not someone I would trust my child with), they had no real learning schedule - nothing set in place, no eduation for even the lead teachers, said straight out they don't believe a degree means anything, cell phones out and staff on them when we walked in. 1 of them said they would have an opening by the end of the month, toured was actually pretty impressed with the place and was going to go back this afternoon, called and then they said they wouldn't have an opening until sometime between April and June. 1 place seemed great, but I was amazed at how many of the 3 yr olds couldnt even name their colors and seemed way behind, plus I wasn't overly thrilled with their schedule.

The last place is a Christian Daycare, they have an opening, but it's in their young toddler room. "Pre-potty training" though they've said they would do some work with potty training if I requested it - which I'm in the middle of working on with my son right now. Seems great (even though most of the teachers have no degree which has been important to me...although many of them have been there for several years), but I'm super concerned with the learning side of it - my son knows all of ABC's - can say them and identify them, 1-16 consistently on his own and to 20 with a couple hints, has started tracing letters as of recent, knows all his colors and shapes, etc.... He's a very smart little boy and the room he'd be in doesn't really work on any of that, plus the toys they do have 95% of them are ones my son outgrew 8-12 months ago. There's no openings in the older 2 room (where he really NEEDS to be) until June at the soonest, most likely not until August, and most of the kids in the room he'd be in are REALLY young...like 18-20 months young, where as he's been 2 for over 4 months now. He would be able to start preschool in September for a few hours in the morning 2 days a week. Aside from that, I was nothing short but impressed with the place as a whole, plus like that it is a Christian daycare, at a church.

Monday I am going to look at a private school (Primrose for anyone who knows about them) - they have infant, early toddler, pre-preschool, preschool, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten plus a before/after school program for school age kids and a summer program at this location. ALL of the main staff have degrees, a few with Ph.D's. I'm really excited to go tour the school and ask my crazy long list of questions.

I never thought I would even look at a private school for my child - especially not at this age, and I'm concerned that with it being private he's going to end up being the "odd one out" which I really don't want. I'm a single mom and his dad isn't in the picture at all. I'm in school full time and not working fulltime at all. In fact, I've been given the opportunity to just focus on school fulltime and not work at all - though I've now realized that I just can't do that...even though school and my son keep me plenty busy, not working just isn't possible for me because I still feel lazy, so I'm back to applying for jobs and had an interview today. I definately plan to talk to the school aout all of this, find out what the "feel" of the school is if that makes sense. I'm also hoping that they have some grants/scholarships and such available...though it's not out of the question even if they don't have any. I really woud LIKE to be a stay at home mom and be working through a preschool curriculum with him and being able to do play groups and such. This seems to be the next best option IMO.

What would you choose in these situations? Would you ever consider putting your child in a private school? At this age?

my child goes to public preschool and will continue to go to public school. She is 4.as i did too. Personally i see no difference in any of it. My 9 yr old neice goes to a christian luthern school and my sister says its exactly like public school. No i would not send her. I guess it just varies where you are

My son went to preschool at 3 & best choice I made ( my opinion ). He loved it, I loved it. It was private/non Christian. I would wait until fall to worry about the whole preschool/learning part. Right now I would just be concerned with someone safely watching him.

Private Catholic school, Ok compare my DS who goes to Private Catholic school to his little friends who goes to public Preschool, K4, They are still learning shapes and letters, DS has mastered sight words and now working on addition .

my biggest concern is that where ever I end up putting him now, I want it to.be longterm..so I'm having to lool ahead at the learning. I'm a fulltime student single mom, I already made a change 3 months ago from pulling him out of a center to have this girl nanny, now she's moving and I'm making a change again. this needs to be longrun..daycare and preschool.

Quoting MichelleMc:

My son went to preschool at 3 & best choice I made ( my opinion ). He loved it, I loved it. It was private/non Christian. I would wait until fall to worry about the whole preschool/learning part. Right now I would just be concerned with someone safely watching him.

my biggest concern is that where ever I end up putting him now, I want it to.be longterm..so I'm having to lool ahead at the learning. I'm a fulltime student single mom, I already made a change 3 months ago from pulling him out of a center to have this girl nanny, now she's moving and I'm making a change again. this needs to be longrun..daycare and preschool.

Quoting MichelleMc:

My son went to preschool at 3 & best choice I made ( my opinion ). He loved it, I loved it. It was private/non Christian. I would wait until fall to worry about the whole preschool/learning part. Right now I would just be concerned with someone safely watching him.

Oh, I got ya. My son went to a different daycare for 3 & then 4, and moved to another Kinder. It kind of worked out because he was used to change. But I understand that would be hard with summers, etc.

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